Review of Lingua Franca (2020) by Tvjerry — 09 Sep 2020

Isabel Sandoval has previously written and directed 2 films under her previous male identity Vincent, but this is her first foray after transitioning. She plays an undocumented Filipino trans woman, who works as a caregiver for an elderly Russian.

She’s also saving money to send back home, looking for a green-card marriage and constantly stressed from the threats of abrupt deportation. The Russian’s grandson offers some respite and hope, but her own doubts create additional anxiety.

Even with the often-static camera and simple setups, the characters are well realized. Even so, the emotions are guarded, which never allows the drama full reign. The narrative sometimes veers abruptly leaving some confusion.

Still, this is an interesting low-budget, indie film this is a quite personal and quietly compelling. (In Tagalog, Cebuano and English with NO subtitles, so turn on the CC or you’ll be lost.